HR0362 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0362 LRB103 33297 LAW 63107 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria (UICOMP) on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, For half a century, UICOMP has fulfilled a three-part mission of service, education, and research; and

WHEREAS, UICOMP was founded as the Peoria Medical School by a group of local physicians and community leaders in 1970 with the goal to train physicians who would remain in Peoria and central Illinois communities to practice medicine; over the past 50 years, their vision has come to fruition in preparing future physicians, providing clinical services, and conducting impactful research; and

WHEREAS, Today, UICOMP plays a significant role in the regional economy, with healthcare being the largest employment sector in Greater Peoria; and

WHEREAS, According to data from the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, UICOMP includes 708 healthcare establishments that employ 29,731 people, providing 16% of area jobs; and

WHEREAS, UICOMP trains over 500 medical students, residents, and fellows annually in Peoria, including 244 students in the four-year curriculum; it enrolls 271 residents and fellows in 13 different residency programs and 29 fellows in its eight fellowships; and

WHEREAS, UICOMP's faculty includes 1,369 faculty members responsible for educating and training the future physicians and, of those, 170 are full-time, 80 are part-time, and 1,119 are volunteer; its faculty provides clinical services at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Illinois, and Carle Health Methodist Hospital, with faculty covering a wide spectrum of clinical services, from pediatrics to neurosurgery to psychiatry, including serving the community both in hospital and ambulatory practice; and

WHEREAS, UICOMP conducts clinical research and outcomes research, and its primary basic science research department is the Cancer Biology and Pharmacology (CBP) Department, where faculty conduct research on cancer biology, neuroscience, and ion channel biology; ongoing research is focused on brain tumors, breast and prostate cancer, Alzheimer's, dementia, stroke, and spinal cord injury, among other areas; and

WHEREAS, UICOMP relies on strong ties and collaboration with its community partners, with two affiliate hospitals within walking distance of campus, providing medical students and residents access to broad clinical experiences with more than 950 licensed hospital beds; and

WHEREAS, UICOMP will celebrate its anniversary at its Golden Gala event, which will be held at the Peoria Civic Center on Saturday, September 30, 2023; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria (UICOMP) on its 50 years of service, education, and research; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to UICOMP as an expression of our esteem and respect.